


The Distortion of Reality

by Aros_Sage



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Author!Alec, Copycat - Freeform, Copycat Killer, Detective!Catarina, F/M, Forensic Pathologist!Izzy, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Good Parent Robert Lightwood, Hurt/Comfort, Jace Wayland is a Lightwood, Kidnapping, Lightwood Siblings, M/M, Max is a teeanger, Professionals to Friends to Lovers, Stalker, Suspense, detective!magnus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 18:39:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14550921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aros_Sage/pseuds/Aros_Sage
Summary: Alec is coming off of a successful book tour, looking forward to taking a little break. All he wants to do is spend time with his family and friends, catch up on some reading and enjoy his time off. Things are perfect until Alec begins receiving mail that seems to allude to an old stalker. If that's not bad enough, murders begin popping up in New York City that just happen to happen exactly as they do in Alec's true crime books. Coincidence?Detective Magnus Bane is assigned to the Lightwood case once more, having dealt with a stalking case for the male years prior.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> That is not the best summary I've ever done. I hope you enjoy this ride we're about go to on.
> 
> Shoutout to Taupefox59 for helping me get this story sorted, connect the dots & outline it. You're the BEST!

As much fun as book tours were, there was nothing Alec Lightwood liked more than finally walking off of a plane in his home state of New York. 

It had only been six years ago when Alec had published his first novel. He had a knack for telling stories at an early age, especially when it was up to him to babysit his younger siblings. One of the only ways he could get Isabelle and Jace to behave was when they’d play pretend. Alec would give them characters and he’d narrate the stories as the trio ran around their large house. Their parents were serial entrepreneurs and so they were constantly away on business trips. The maid and cook would often babysit the children but they were busy, so most of the responsibility would end up on Alec. He had never minded it though, he loved his siblings. 

Alec had gone to school for journalism but his heart was in fiction. He would spend hours upon hours sitting in his bedroom writing stories. He had always been attracted to writing suspense and crime thrillers. When he was very young, John Gotti, the mobster, was in the news as a high profile case. Thinking back, he had to credit seeing and hearing about it as some of his inspiration. 

After publishing his first book, Alec had felt satisfied enough to focus on his column job for a dying newspaper. He wrote in the crime section, mostly keeping up to date on any and all burglaries, important court cases, reminding the public of a few cold cases and a small area that shamed arrested parties for breaking the law. 

Alec had become an overnight sensation. His book hit the top 100 list and three months later, it was a New York Times Best Seller. He couldn’t believe it. He had been in shock when Isabelle came to his job with his book in hand, the sticker on it. 

Ever since, his life had become a whirlwind. He was given a great contract with a publishing company and soon after was meeting to discuss the next novel. He gotten overwhelmed with all of his meetings and growing popularity that he quickly enlisted his brother, Jace, to be his manager. 

Jace had been taking odd jobs, still trying to figure out what he had wanted to do. He was a natural people person, always able to make friends and break the ice with anyone. Alec had desperately needed someone to help him when it came to talking to publicists and agents and scheduling meetings. Jace was perfect, plus, it helped them remain close. 

This had been Alec’s second book tour. He did his first one after his second book had been written and now he was doing one for his fourth. His fans had wanted him to do one for his third but he’d decided not to, wanting to focus on his life and his writing,. 

Normally, Alec and Jace took the same flights but this time, Alec was waiting at baggage claim alone. Jace and his girlfriend of three years, Clary, were celebrating their three year anniversary this evening and he had raced to get home in time. Alec didn’t mind, besides, he’d been with his brother every day for the past two months…he could handle not seeing him for a couple days. 

Feeling his pocket vibrate, Alec pulled out his cell phone, smiling at the name that flashed on the screen. 

“Max! Hey, what’s going on?” Alec asked, leaning against a column in the airport, watching as the conveyor belt finally began to move, signaling that the baggage for his flight had arrived.

Max was his, Isabelle and Jace’s younger brother. When Alec was 10, their parents had had a bit of a surprise, finding out they were expecting again, even though their mother, Maryse, had gotten her tubes tied after Isabelle. They were older when their parents explained to them that Jace had been adopted as a baby. Robert, Alec’s father, told them that he was Jace’s Godfather and when his parents died in a tragic car accident, Robert took him in without question. 

“Are we still on for dinner tonight? Izzy said you might be tired from your flight.” Max asked through the phone, sounding somewhat winded. Alec wouldn’t be surprised if he was on his bike, running around town. He was a messenger in New York City for extra cash while attending college as a freshman. 

“Yes, of course. I need to swing by the Post Office first to pick up my mail and then get my car from mom and dads to head home.” Alec answered him, lifting off of the column once he spotted his bag coming down the belt. 

“Izzy already picked it up for you. Sammy’s grooming session was going to take a while so she decided to knock that out too. She said if you got home with your mail before we got there, you’d lose track of time and forget to start dinner.” Alec could imagine the smirk on his little brother’s face. His siblings knew him too well. 

Alec didn’t think he was OCD but he couldn’t stand knowing he had mail that demanded his attention. He got a good amount of fan mail year round but since he’d been gone for 2 months, he knew he was very backlogged. 

“Then I guess I need to thank her for that too. Alright…It’s going to take me an hour to get my car, then I’ll swing by the grocery store before heading home. I should be home by 4.” Alec explained as he started maneuvering his way out of the JFK airport. 

“Okay…you know Izzy, she drives like a grandma…hopefully we’ll be there by 5. Love you Alec! Bye!” And with that, the line went dead.

Although they had a 10 year age gap, Alec was glad he and Max were able to become close. The moment their parents brought Max from the hospital, Alec had been smitten, much like he vaguely remembered when Izzy was a newborn. It was love at first sight. 

0000

Alec loved his house, except for the fact that it was nearly an hour outside of New York City where all of his friends and family resided. Growing up in New York City, Alec was used to the hustle and bustle but after a while, he didn’t want to be around it as much. 

Their parents still worked as often as they did when they were kids and so, whenever Alec needed to be closer to the city for meetings, Alec stayed at their family home. He didn’t like having to ask his siblings if he could stay at their homes, even though he knew they didn’t mind. 

It was a pretty regular occurrence when one or more of his siblings would come to stay with him. Alec enjoyed his solitude but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like them around. Living in a wooded area where his nearest neighbor lived two miles away was sometimes unnerving. Again, Alec had grown up to the sounds of the city so having nights where he couldn’t hear anything was a change. 

Alec owned a three bedroom, two bathroom home. It has two floors with the bedrooms on the top floor. The main floor held the kitchen, dining room, living and a separate room off the living room that is his study. Alec often spends hours inside of that room whenever a story takes hold of him. He especially enjoys the perfect nook in there by large windows for when he wants to get lost in a book.The house has a finished basement that he uses mainly for storage.

When Alec found the house four years ago, he hadn’t expected it being on an acre of land. It had been intimidating at first but he had come to enjoy it. He adopted his Australian Shepard, Sammy, around the same time he moved, who loved the space. Alec often takes Sammy out for walks throughout the property that’s surrounded by trees and a creek through the center.

In the backyard against the house, Alec has an underground pool and a hot tub. He had originally only intended to get the pool, but Izzy had convinced him that he’d enjoy the use of a hot tub when the weather got colder. He suspected she wanted him to have one so she could use it, but he didn’t mind. If his sister is happy and just so happens to bring her bathing suit over whenever she stays, that’s fine with him.

After parking his car, Alec fumbled with his phone, keys, grocery bags and baggage, attempting to make it in one trip to his front door. Hearing something fall after he took the couple steps up to his door, he cursed, seeing his phone now resting on his sidewalk. 

Alec wiggled his keys in his hand, unlocking the two locks on his front door. Immediately, the house alarm went off, blaring in his ears as he quickly freed his arms, running through the living room into the kitchen where the alarm system box was, inputing his code. The alarm ended, Alec glad he hadn’t changed the code. 

When he installed the security system, the company told him it was always a good idea to change the password every 4 to 6 months, just in case of any potential breaches. The thought that this company could have their information stolen was alarming, but they said it was simply typical procedure. Alec, not wanting to be lazy on his personal safety, did as instructed. He probably needed to call to switch it, now that he was home again. 

0000

Alec had just finished prepping the homemade pasta sauce when he heard a car driving up his gravel driveway. He peered through the doorway, confirming to himself that it was Izzy’s car. It was a bit of tradition that, whenever Alec got back into town, that their family would have dinner and spend the night together. Jace was out because of Clary and their parents were out of the country so it’d just be him, Izzy and Max. 

Wiping his hands on a towel, Alec made his way out of the kitchen and towards the door, opening it and stepping out. Max was already out of the car, opening Izzy’s trunk as Izzy got out of the driver’s side.

“Okay..okay..” Izzy was saying, smiling as she waved at her brother. Alec waved back, descending the steps as his sister opened the side door. 

Like a bolt of lightning, Sammy shot out of the car, fumbling over his own feet as he noticed Alec standing there. The dog had perked up when Izzy turned down the long driveway to Alec’s house but nearly broke the window when he saw his owner. 

Alec prepared himself, opening his arms as his 65 pound Australian Shepard launched himself into them. Alec was pushed back anyways by the force but managed to hold onto him. Sammy was yipping and whining as Alec felt his face split into a painful smile. The worst part about traveling for work was having to leave him behind. 

Sammy twisted around, trying to lick every part of Alec that he finally let him go, bending down and kneeling on his knees instead as his dog continued to assault him with love. 

“Miss me?” Alec asked, hands petting his dog as best he could with the way he was moving around. “His coat looks great. Thanks Iz.” Alec said after another couple minutes, standing up once Izzy got closer to him.

Smiling, Izzy threw her arms around Alec’s neck, hugging him close. “It’s good to see you, Big Brother.” Alec wrapped his arms around his sister’s slim waist, holding her tight. 

0000

It turned out that Izzy’s entire trunk was stuffed with Alec’s mail from the post office. They had given Izzy a stern talking to about how he needed to find a way to lessen the amount he received but it’s not as though he had a choice. Alec needed a mailbox for personal stuff and he didn’t mind receiving fan mail. He had fans that tended to be super sleuths who found his home address before, so he figured giving out an address would prevent them from trying to find this one. Only his family, a couple friends and his agent had his private home address. 

After the siblings dropped off the mail in his study, they went back to setting up dinner. Since Alec prepped everything, it wouldn’t take too long to cook. 

After making drinks for himself and his siblings, they sat around the kitchen table to catch up. 

“Don’t tell mom I gave you alcohol.” Alec warned his brother who was just about to take a drink of his beer.

Max rolled his eyes. “I’m in college Alec, it’s not like this is my first drink.” 

“To mom, you’re still only 19 years old.” Alec gave him a stern look. 

“Okay, okay…I promise. Our secret.” Max raised his glass, as did Alec and Isabelle, clinking them together.

“I’m so glad your back. How was the trip?” Izzy asked curiously, leaning back in her chair. 

Alec relaxed in his chair as well. “As much fun as you can imagine, you know…spending two months traveling, stuffed into hotel rooms with Jace.” 

“He’s a new man now…he doesn’t like getting drunk all the time anymore.” 

“No it’s worse…he doesn’t stop talking about Clary.” Alec said though his tone was fond. Alec reached into his pocket, flicking through his photos. “You can’t tell anyone…especially not Clary.” Alec began before showing his phone, looking at izzy pointedly. 

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, okay.” Snatching Alec’s phone, her eyes grew. “Oh.My.God!” She shrieked excitedly. Max leaned over, trying to see what the fuss was about.

Alec and Jace had gone ring shopping a couple weeks before they’d returned to New York. Jace had been wanting to ask Clary to marry him for a while but had been nervous about it. After finally admitting so to Alec, Alec convinced him that they should look at rings. It turned out to be a fun past time for them while they were on the road. 

They were in Maine when Jace found the perfect ring. Alec took a photo of his brother grinning like a fool while he held up the ring. 

“When!?” Izzy demanded.

Alec shrugged. “I was hoping he was going to do it tonight but I think he needs more time to come up with a perfect plan.”

“And you? Meet anyone special while you were gone?” Izzy asked, glancing over at Max who already seemed bored with their conversation. 

Alec shook his head. “I was on a book tour, not an extended vacation. It’s not very easy meeting anyone that way.” 

Izzy frowned at him. “You deleted Grindr off your phone, didn’t you?” 

Alec felt his cheek warm up. “I’m not interested in meeting guys for hook ups, you know that.”

“You need to get out there somehow…I want you to find someone, Alec.” Alec could tell in her voice that she was going to start getting serious on him and it was something he didn’t want. 

“And what about you? You’re single too.” He shot back.

“Actually…” She grinned happily. Alec glanced at Max who seemed amused, although he looked pleased. 

“Izzy’s been seeing Simon.” Max stated before Izzy could. Izzy reached across the table in an attempt to swat at him. 

Alec stood up, going around the island, checking on the pasta sauce. “Simon? Clary’s friend Simon?” 

“Yes..that Simon. Oh come on, he’s not so bad. He’s really sweet.”

“The first time we met him…he managed to let go of Sammy! It took us hours to find him in central park.” Alec complained, remembering that day vividly. 

Alec had already been very wary whenever it came to new people in their small circle. Alec had had Sammy for only two weeks, he was still a small puppy. Jace had really wanted his siblings to get to know Clary more and so they had had a picnic in the park. It had been mostly okay until Simon let go of his puppy while Alec and Jace were grabbing ice cream for everyone. When they’d returned to their blankets, Max was the only one left, holding down the fort while Simon, Izzy and Clary had run after him. 

Luckily, a good samaritan was walking around the park, an exhausted Sammy in her arms, trying to locate his owner. Alec almost cried when he was reunited with his dog. Ever since then, he had become a bit prickly around Simon. Logically, he knew Simon had felt terrible about it but he was still irked by him. The guy never stopped talking and, at first, Alec was suspicious of him and Clary. If he didn’t know any better, Alec could have sworn that Simon was in love with Clary. 

“You always say that. He’s a really good guy, Alec. He treats me better than I’ve ever been treated before. Please give him a chance, for me?” 

Alec tried to focus on the pasta noodles instead of his sister’s doe eyes. Feeling them burning into the back of his head, Alec sighed, turning around to face her. “No promises.” 

0000

When Alec woke up, he could tell his body was extremely cramped. He groaned, trying to get his bearings. Blinking his eyes tiredly in the dim light, he realized he’d fallen asleep on the couch.

After dinner, the siblings had changed and decided to relax and watch a movie. Alec didn’t even remember seeing what movie Max decided on. 

Sitting up carefully, Alec moved his legs so he was back to sitting up. At the other end of the couch, Izzy was a mirror image of how Alec had been sleeping; curled up and sleeping on her side. Alec glanced at the television, seeing the menu screen for The Avengers on. He looked over at the loveseat, Max sprawled out on it, also asleep but with Sammy curled up with him. He wasn’t sure how the two managed to fit but they looked oddly comfortable. 

Stretching his arms over his body, Alec stood up, walking over towards Max. He found the remote, carefully shutting the television off. He then slowly pulled off Max’s glasses, not wanting him to accidentally break them. 

Moving back over towards the couch, Alec pulled the blanket off of the back, covering his sister with it. As if she instantly knew she had the space now, her legs stretched out, letting her get more comfortable. 

Alec made sure the house was secure and the lights were off before quietly padding up the stairs towards his bed. He checked his phone which indicated that it was just past 2:00am. 

Flopping down on his bed was probably one of the best feelings he ever got after trips. There was just nothing like being home in your own bed. All Alec could think about as he began to drift back into sleep was how happy he was to be home.


	2. Chapter 2

Spending the weekend with his siblings was exactly what Alec had needed. It had been so refreshing, being able to catch up with them without the stress of any meetings or deadlines. Alec made a point to tell Jace that, for the next two weeks, no one would be allowed to reach him regarding anything work related. He desperately needed some time away from his work. He loves his career and counts his blessings, but he needed some time to just be Alec Lightwood. 

Max had left the following evening but Izzy stayed with him until Monday evening. She had taken the day off, wanting to give Alec a proper 'Welcome Back.' Her version of a welcome back being her attempting to get anything gossipy out of Alec. He felt like he could only disappoint her as he was very much not the exciting type. 

There had been a couple nights where Jace managed to drag him out to a bar or a gay bar, but Alec never took anyone back to his hotel. He just...never found someone that he was interested in. Of course there had been a few guys who caught his eye, but he could tell with one look that they were only looking for someone to sleep with. There had been a period of time when Alec was younger that he had gone out and experimented, but he realized that life style just wasn't for him. He didn't like the idea of random hookups; it never intrigued him. 

"Alec...you have so much to give...I just want you to have that experience with someone special." Izzy said to him on Sunday night as they relaxed in his hot tub.

He looked over at his sister. She was leaning her head back so she could look at the stars, her hand holding her glass of wine teetering dangerous sideways. He was almost sure she would manage to tip it into the hot water they were currently relaxing in. 

Alec mirrored the way she was relaxing, resting his head against the edge, letting his eyes roam over the thousands of bright stars in the cloudless sky. Growing up in the city, he had only ever dreamed of seeing so many stars in the sky. 

"I will...I just haven't met him yet." Alec sighed, deciding to let her in for once. Alec trusted Izzy with everything he had, but he didn't always like her prying into his personal life. He knew she only wanted the best for him but it didn't mean he had to talk about it all the time. 

"Yeah...because you don't go out. Seriously...let's get you on a dating app at least. Though...out here you're only going to find another recluse...probably a serial killer." She teased, glancing over at him, flicking some water at him. She chuckled when she managed to flick a couple specs on his face. 

Alec resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Most of those apps are exclusively for hooking up. I don't want to hook up with a stranger, Iz." 

"Fine...then let's look up some ways for singles to meet. That way, if they want you to go home with them, you'll at least figure it out sooner." She shrugged. Alec could feel a blush growing on his face, despite the heat of the water.

The truth being that Alec truly wanted a serious relationship. He had had a couple brief relationships when he was younger but nothing ever felt right. He had had a high school sweetheart but the other male, Aaron, had been more in an experimenting phase. Aaron admitted that he truly cared for Alec but after almost a year together, Aaron had realized that he wasn't sexually attracted as he thought to Alec, or men, in general. He had avidly wanted to pursue women. It had hurt Alec, but he didn't hold it against him. They had broken up on good terms and occasionally, whenever Aaron was in town, they would grab dinner to catch up. Aaron was now married with a child and another on the way. 

After Aaron, Alec had dated here and there but never had a serious relationship. When his career began to take off, he put anything related to a love life on pause. 

0000

The day after Izzy had left, Alec finally got back into his normal routine. Along with Sammy, the two of them went for a nice run around the property. Alec liked doing his best to stay in shape, especially once he was home since it was tough to fit it in while traveling. 

After an hour or so, they returned to the house. Alec made breakfast for the two of them, enjoying it on his patio, a large cup of coffee keeping him warm in the somewhat morning chill. 

After taking a shower, Alec made a grocery shopping list, knowing he was very low on just about everything. The closest store was about 20 minutes out but he knew he had to do it. If he didn't go now, he'd end up waiting until he literally only had tea and coffee left. He wouldn't mind if it was just him but Sammy's food was low and plus, he liked getting him fresher foods. He typically hand cooked Sammy's food, as he only wanted the best for his dog, but usually when he was away, he bought lots of canned food for Izzy so it would be easier for her to feed him. Her schedule was hectic and he didn't want to make it worse.

Alec glanced at the large pile of overflowing mail in his study but forced himself to walk away from it. He so much as opened one envelope, he'd be in there for days. 

0000

Two hours later, Alec did a juggling act with several bags of groceries, determined to make it in one go. He struggled to lift his arm, barely sliding the key into the slot to open his door. He immediately shook off the bags, running towards his alarm, disarming it before it could go off and accidentally alert the security company. 

He was in the middle putting away everything when the door bell rang. Sammy began barking, as he does, not used to someone using the bell. Alec pulled out his phone, checking the camera enabled app to see who was at the door. All he could see was what looked like flowers.

Alec quickly made it to his front door, hushed his dog and cracked open the door a couple inches. 

"Delivery for....." The woman's voice began, fumbling with the flowers as she fiddled with her phone. "Alexander Lightwood." She said confidently, lowering her phone to peer at the person on the other side of the door.

"Thanks." Alec answered, reaching forward to carefully take the large vase with flowers out of her hand. 

"Welcome! Have a nice day!" The girl said, a beaming smile on her face as she turned and walked back down the driveway. 

Glancing down the path, Alec saw the girl's blue honda sitting idle. 

Closing the door, Alec brought the flowers with him into the kitchen, sitting the vase on his island. He moved the flowers around until he found the card hidden underneath a few leaves. 

_'Congratulations on your latest tour. Your biggest fans! xoxo mom & dad'_

Alec smiled to himself, placing the card on the island. He liked the flowers in the kitchen, however, he worried there might not be enough light in here for them. He made a mental note to move them towards a better lighted area later. 

0000

After making a small lunch for himself, Alec finally moved towards his study. He heard a whining sound come from Sammy who nuzzled the back of his leg. When Alec tended to get bursts of writing inspiration, he would spend hours in his study. He had a feeling Sammy hadn't forgotten. 

"I'm sorry buddy...but Daddy's got to work." He said, reaching down to scratch behind his ear.

Entering the room, Sammy ran over towards a large dog bed on the ground, already cuddling into it. 

"You only wanted in here for the bed, huh?" Alec asked, his voice fond of his furry companion.

Sighing, Alec placed his jug of water on the table, reaching down to bring the first pile of envelopes on the table. It took him a while but he tried, as much as he could, to respond to his fan mail. 

The first bit of mail he went through was everything personal. Bills, junk, letters from his family, more junk. Alec's bills were automatically withdrawn from his account so he never had to stress about missing a payment. He had tried to go paperless but apparently no on read those notices.

He went through all of the various sized envelopes next, waiting to go through the boxes last. He opened his tablet to a spreadsheet, jotting down the fan's name, return address and then notes on either pieces they said to him that stuck out or the question they posed to him. The first time he'd began getting mail, he tried to read and reply right after but he found that that took double the time. Instead, he compiled what he needed and then worked on his responses the weeks following opening. 

Much of the mail consisted of: love letters, speculations on his books, updates on social media and why he isn't on it (and wondering why that is), fan art and even a couple pieces of hate mail. Alec was known for responding to those as well. Izzy had shown him a group of photos on Instagram of them once. He felt validated, however, that most of those who posted his responses had genuinely appreciated what he was trying to convey and content with a response. 

The boxes were usually gifts of all kinds. He always got tons of snacks, clothing, more art, trinkets and various other things. 

"Looks like you're well liked, Gideon." Alec sighed, leaning back in his chair and glancing out the windows. He frowned, not all that surprised that it hit the night time at some point.

Alec liked to keep his private life, private and so, just before his publisher put out his first book, he decided to write under a pen name instead. Gideon Greymark wrote riveting, mysterious crime stories. He had been fortunate, thus far, that no one had figured out his real name. People tried to find him but no such luck. Izzy and Max were all over social media but they made sure to keep their handles private for Alec's sake. 

"Come on..." Alec said to Sammy as he stood up, stretching his long body. He rubbed his eyes with his palms, walking out of the room. He figured he'd get back to the last couple boxes in the morning.

0000

The next day, Jace called Alec frantically in the morning, shouting about a meeting that Alec had forgotten. As Alec stumbled out of his bed, nearly tripping out of the tangled sheets around his legs.

"What do you mean a meeting? I don't have one...I shouldn't have any scheduled this week."

"Yes you do...remember? We were flying and I had that voicemail from that guy who's interested in possibly making the first book into a movie." 

Alec paused, managing to get out of the blankets but frowned, rubbing his temples. "Jace...I told you to ask him to push it." He paused, waiting for Jace to respond. When he didn't get a response, he groaned, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Tell me you called him back."

"Okay fine...I forgot, okay? Clary called me right when we landed then we were rushing to get the taxi and then dinner...." Alec could hear the frustration in his brother's voice. Jace was really good at keeping and maintaining schedules but whenever it came to Clary, it's as if he turned into mush. And mush is useless.

"You know...when you marry this girl, I'm going to have to fire you." Alec grumbled as he made his way towards his bathroom.

"What! Why?"

"Because you're an idiot. I'm going to be late. I'll try to get there as soon as I can."

0000

After hauling ass as close as he could get to the city, Alec parked his car in a secret lot that no one paid any attention to and just caught the subway to finish his destination. Luckily, instead of being an hour late, it was only 20 minutes.

Alec had been iffy to begin with when a director had reached out to him about wanting to do a movie adaption of his book. He had seen his share of book to movie adaptions and he just didn't think they did the original books justice. There were some exceptions but more often than not, that's how he felt. 

The director assured him that they could figure things out with contracts, and that he could possibly maintain creative control. The idea was very tempting, at least he'd be able to make sure the script and characters were as close to the originals as possible but he was still hesitant. Filming would be in Los Angeles and probably Atlanta, which meant he'd have to leave home, again. 

Two hours later, Jace and Alec shook hands with the man, turning and walking towards Izzy's work, having called her to meet for a late lunch. 

"When do mom and dad get back?" Alec asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets as they crossed the street, narrowly avoiding being struck by a pedicab. 

"Max said they'll be back at the end of the month so..." He thought for a moment. "Probably end of next week?" He shrugged.

Their parents were abroad, meeting with new manufacturers for a company they were helping. 

"What do you think about the movie proposal?" Jace inquired while they waited to cross the next block.

Alec inhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly? My gut says no." He admitted. "I know I'm doing well right now but...what if the movie is God awful? That'll hurt my brand. I would hate for people to judge my stories based on a shitty movie." 

"It might turn out really good though. What if they got...I don't know, Jude Law to play Detective Moser? That would be awesome and you know it." Alec gave him a weird look. "What? Look...I'm just saying, if I was gay, I'd marry him."

"You know Jude Law is straight, right?" Alec asked, his voice amused. 

"He wouldn't be able to resist my charm."

0000

By the time Alec left the city, he knew it'd be late once he finally got home. He knew he should have brought Sammy with him but, his dog had finally gotten home, he wanted him to relax. 

Alec got out of his car and pulled out his phone, intent on getting to the group chat with his sibling to let them know he'd gotten home. He had only just unlocked his phone when he yelped in surprise,tripping and falling hard onto the gravel. 

Groaning, Alec looked around, seeing the light from his phone a little away from him. He leaned over, pulling his phone towards him. He frowned, feeling the crack along the screen. Glad it still at least worked, Alec fired two texts to them:

_'Home'_

_'Thanks for forgetting a box in my driveway'_

He wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed it but he it was sort of off to the side. Alec started to get up, groaning as he did, feeling a sting of pain in his elbow and his knee; both of which that took the brunt of the fall. 

He grabbed the medium sized box, wondering what was in it since it had some weight to it. Shifting it in his arms, he managed to make it once again into his home. 

Alec placed the box on his dining room table, intent on going to bed. 

0000

The next morning was as usual as any other. Sammy and Alec went on their run, had breakfast and Alec even had some time to do a little reading. 

On his way to get more water from the kitchen, he caught Sammy standing on his back legs, front paws on the table, sniffing away at the box he'd left there the night before. He felt a phantom pain in his knee, since it had felt stiff in the morning from the fall. Stupid box.

"Sammy! Down!" Alec chastised, crossing the room and manhandling his dog to get off of the table. He shook his head at him, seeing how he wanted to get put here again. "Alright...I'll open it." 

The instant Alec managed to open the box with a knife, it being heavy-duty taped, Alec nearly gagged, covering his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his sweater. He didn't know what it was except that it was single-handedly the worst smell he'd ever smelt, probably in his entire life; and he grew up in New York City for fuck's sake. 

He stretched his arm over, carefully bending the folds to open the box. He could see plastic sticking out a little. 

Getting a little closer, Alec held his breath to use both hands to pull the plastic aside. He remembered it being heavy so he didn't bother pulling whatever it was out; he was certain it was going to the garbage immediately. The plastic twisted tightly around. It took him a minute to get it open enough so he could peer inside. The second Alec glanced into the box, he gasped, stumbled back and ran into the kitchen, barely making it to his sink before he vomited all the contents in his stomach. 

Wrapped inside the plastic bag was what looked to be a very real, severed arm. 

0000000000000000

Twenty minutes later, Alec was able to collect himself enough to grab his phone, grab Sammy and move them onto his patio. He couldn't be inside with what could very well possibly be a mutilated body part.

Alec called the police, anxiously waiting for them to arrive. The problem with living so far out was that they couldn't get to him nearly as quickly as he wished they could. His entire body trembled and if asked later, Alec wouldn't be sure if it was because of what happened or if it was because it was 40 degrees and he was in a t-shirt and no shoes. 

It took him three tries to reach Jace. The first time, his fingers shook too much that he missed the button, the second time, his brother's phone went to voicemail. The third time, his brother's attentive girlfriend answered her phone almost immediately.

"Alec? You know this is Clary's phone right?" She asked, her voice cheery and a little surprised.

"I-I know. Sorry...Is Jace with you? I..." Alec swallowed, counted to five, and tried again, trying to remove the tremble in his voice. "I need to talk to him."

"Uh....yeah..hang on." Alec could hear her moving around, wherever she was. "Is everything okay?"

"No." He answered, probably too quickly.

"Alec?" Jace's voice came through strong and his tone was serious. Clary must have given some sort of indication that Alec was freaking her out.

"Jace..." Alec could feel the panic building in his chest. Sammy, noticing it, moved closer to Alec, nudging his nose into Alec's thigh until he moved his hand down, beginning to pet him. Alec leaned down, resting his forehead against Sammy's. The dog whined a little, trying to meld into Alec.

"Alec...talk to me." 

"Come over...please come over." Alec whispered, not trusting his voice to speak too loudly at the moment. 

0000

Instead of letting Alec hang up, Jace made him stay on the line. "We don't have to talk...just stay with me. We're on our way, okay buddy?"

"Okay." Alec had managed, letting the stroking of Sammy's fur calm him down. '

The police ended up arriving 10 minutes later, Alec able to see the red and blue flashing lights. 

"I'm...I'm not hurt but the police are here. I'll see you when you get here." Alec told his brother before hanging up the phone. 

"You call it in?" The Officer who approached him asked. Alec nodded his head.

"Alec." 

"Officer Rhodes. That's my partner Officer Gunner." Alec shook the man's hand, watching as the partner came closer to them. "Do you have any weapons on you?" 

Alec shook his head. "Just my phone and my dog." 

"Will he attack?"

Alec shook his head. "No...not at all." He was shocked by the question, as people had only ever wanted to snuggle the crap out of him. 

"Very good. Can you tell us what happened?"

"I opened up a box of mail and..." Alec paused, feeling bile rising in his throat once more. He took a few deep breaths to settle it. "I think...I didn't get a good look at it but...it looks like a real body part."

"Can you show us?

On shaky legs, Alec walked back into his home, hesitating in the doorway to his dining room. 

"You don't have to go in. Gunner?" Rhodes offered, clapping him gently on his shoulder before the two of them passed him. 

Alec watched from afar as they put gloves on, carefully opening the box more and pulling at the plastic. He could see their grimaces when the smell got worse. Alec covered his mouth and nose once more, just in case. 

The Officers shared a look, Alec recognizing it as something he and Jace or he and Izzy did; their own silent language, being able to have a conversation without speaking. 

Gunner gave Alec a sympathetic look as he went past him. Rhodes came towards Alec, nodding for him to follow away from the box. "Is there somewhere we can talk?" 

"We can go in here." Alec said, going into the living room. 

"We need to do a test but we think you were correct." Somehow, Alec felt more sick with the confirmation. 

"Can you get it out of here?" The thought of it in his apartment made him nauseous. 

"We will. First, unfortunately, we need to treat this as a crime scene. Once we have enough physical evidence, we can have a CSI team out to collect it." The Officer, noticing how pale Alec was going, helped guide him to sit on his couch. "I'm going to ask you just a couple questions, alright?" Alec nodded.

"Tell me where you collected the box and your movement until you opened it." 

Alec explained to him the night before and what had happened and then this morning and how mundane it had started out. He barely watched as Rhodes took notes as he spoke. He also let him know that his brother and his girlfriend would be here eventually.

"Did you open the box with your hands?" 

"Yes."

"Did you touch the item in question?"

"No...just the plastic." 

"Was there any sender information?" 

Alec shrugged. "I don't know. If the label doesn't say, then I'm not sure." He explained to the Officer that he has a PO Box and that he never got mail here specifically. 

"Do you have any enemies or anyone who would want to scare you?" 

"I...I don't think so. Maybe...sometimes my readers aren't happy with certain aspects of my books." By that, Alec then explained to him what his profession is. 

"Sir?" Gunner called out, moving closer to the room. Alec and Rhodes both turned to face the younger Officer. Gunner's eyes shifted nervously towards Alec before settling on his boss. "You might want to see this." 

Rhodes turned to Alec. "I know you don't want to hear this, but try to relax. We'll take care of this." 

Sammy had since curled up beside Alec on the couch, his head resting in his thigh. 

Alec watched the Officers quietly converse in the other room, trying to do like he said; relax. 

Rhodes came back, holding a plastic bag in his hand, what looked to be a 4x7 index card inside of it.

"I need to show you something. If you recognize anything about it...we'll be able to figure out who did this, okay?" 

Alec glanced up at him, nodding. The Officer reached over, handing Alec the plastic bag. Turning it over, Alec felt himself pale more at the words on the card. 

Letters from magazines, cut out and glued were on it, two words spelled out.

_'MISS YOU'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the double post. I wrote this at 6am on a flight with 4 hours of sleep. I came back and realized I had made a note for myself to go back to and to make the past portion of the chapter italics. Sorry!
> 
> Please enjoy!

"Magnus! Thank you for meeting me." Izzy greeted the Asian male as she stood up from the seat she'd been occupying in the corner cafe from Magnus' office. 

Izzy, ever the enthusiastic one, gave Magnus a hug to which he returned. 

"It's been some time since I've seen you last my dear Isabelle." Magnus stated once he took his seat across from the young woman. 

"I know. I wish I hadn't been transferred." 

Magnus Bane was a detective for the NYPD, a job he'd had for the last 10 years. Isabelle Lightwood, pathologist, had been working with the NYPD Manhattan forensics division but had been transferred to Brooklyn a year ago since they were in need of someone as skilled as Isabelle. 

"It was a great opportunity, it's a good thing. I'm proud of you." 

The first time Magnus and Isabelle had crossed paths had been about 7 years ago while Isabelle was still an assistant. She often swung by Magnus' office to collect samples or drop off results. Magnus wasn't the only one she visited, but he was one that she had become acquaintances with. He took the time to learn her name and to say hello and ask how she was. On one particular busy day, Magnus had helped her carry all of her paperwork to her car before she could drop it all in a rush to get back. Sometimes, there were souls out there that were meant to be part of your life and she knew he was one of those in hers. 

"I wish this was a social call but I think I need your help." Isabelle sighed, her eyes glancing at the menu but unable to choose anything as he mind continued to wander. 

Magnus, concerned, placed one of his hands on both of hers. "What's going on?"

"Do you remember my brother, Alec?" Isabelle asked, looking up at her friend. 

A small, knowing smile formed on Magnus' lips but due to the seriousness in her eyes, he kept it mostly neutral. "Tall, dark and handsome? How could I forget." He teased, trying to lighten the mood a little. "Is he alright?"

"We think maybe his stalker from before found him again."

 

_Magnus remembered when Isabelle had lingered in his doorway after delivering some results from a double homicide on Magnus' partner's desk. He could feel eyes on him, so he looked up, seeing the indecision in her eyes._

_It didn't take long after that for Magnus to get Isabelle talking. She explained how her older brother had been receiving uncomfortable fan mail. Alec was growing anxious and paranoid. She reached into her purse, showing Magnus a couple photos. All of the photos were that of a tall, dark-haired male all over the city. He was walking with a blond male on the Brooklyn Bridge, sitting in a restaurant with younger version of himself, Isabelle and the male at yoga. All of these photos were obviously candid._

_"How did you receive these?" Magnus asked as he looked over each photo._

_"They were dropped off in an envelop on his doorstep." Isabelle swallowed, the fear apparent in her eyes. "Alec's building was okay with collecting his mail downstairs in the office. He never gave out his apartment number." She sighed, pulling out a couple other letters. Alec lived in a large apartment building with over 100 units in it._

_"His fans write to Gideon, his pen name. He's never publicly admitted his real name." She added, realizing Magnus didn't know anything about her brother, other than that she had a couple. "These are normal." She explained, a handful of letters in her hand. "This envelop was addressed to Alexander Lightwood. And so were these." She pointed to the one that held the photos and then a slew of others, all written in the same handwriting._

_"These letters started off harmless, if not unnerving since they were addressed to Alec and not Gideon to begin with." Magnus took the letters, opening them up. "As you go later and later, they begin to get aggressive. Whoever this is, thinks they actually know my brother. He's freaked out and so am I and our family. He's worried he has to move, though I don't blame him."_

_"It's not uncommon for those in the spotlight to have situations like this happen, unfortunately. Where is Alexander?" Magnus asked, glancing around as if this brother of hers would pop out of nowhere._

_Isabelle bit her lip. "He, uh, he doesn't know I'm here." She admitted. "His career is really taking off and he's afraid if this gets out, that it'll harm his reputation. His books are crime mysteries..." She tapered off, looking to Magnus to figure out what she was getting to._

_It didn't take him long. "And he's worried this may appear as a publicity stunt which could epically fail?"_

_Isabelle nodded. "That and he's not sure if he's being too paranoid. The letters with his name on them were one thing but Magnus, these are photos of my brother and myself and our family, dropped off at his door. They know where he lives."_

_Magnus had taken the case, doing his best to keep it as private as possible._

_A week after speaking with Isabelle, Magnus made an appointment with the two siblings in a small, private club. Magnus figured, if this person was following Alec around, they wouldn't be able to easily get access to their meeting._

_Magnus was sitting at a table in the back, fingers idly tapping on the stem of the wine glass in front of him when the duo walked in._

_To say that Alexander Lightwood was the most handsome person he'd ever seen would be an understatement. He walked behind Isabelle, closing the privacy curtain as Isabelle came up to Magnus, giving him a hug._

_Alec turned, freezing in his steps, his bright hazel eyes wide, staring at Magnus. The moment felt like it'd lasted hours but in reality had only been 5 seconds. Alec blinked a few times, cleared his throat and walked towards the two. The male wore dark jeans and a green sweater. His hair was unkept but in the way that everyone wishes they could maintain. Magnus would bet money Alec didn't intend to have perfectly messy hair._

_"Magnus Bane, pleasure." Magnus greeted him, holding his hand out to shake Alec's._

_Alec took the slender hand in his larger one, shaking it firmly. "Alec Lightwood."_

_The three of them took a seat, Magnus cocking his head to the side, an eyebrow raised curiously at Alec who was staring again. "See something you like?"_

_Alec startled, a faint blush starting to spread on his cheeks and neck. "What? No...I just...you don't look like a detective." He admitted, hands disappearing in the sleeves of his sweater, obviously picking at the ends._

_Magnus chuckled, Isabelle joining in. "I'm good at my job but I insist on keeping a modicum of a sense of fashion." He shrugged. Magnus wore tight fitted black slacks with a pin stripe down each side. His top was a dark purple fitted v-neck t-shirt with a matching purple vest on top with swirling, almost feather like patterns. He wore three long necklaces of varying lengths. His black hair was shaved in a fade around his head, save for the top which was styled in a curl. He wore an ear cuff in his left ear and various rings on his right hand, while a single, silver band remained on his left._

_After the introductions, Magnus spoke to the siblings about his findings so far. The person who had been sending the photos and letters were definitely local. At the moment, he was working on going over Alec's building's surveillance footage, as well as tracking down where the photos had been developed. He was confident they'd find who was doing this relatively soon._

_A month later, Magnus had gotten close but so far, there was no tangible lead as to who this person was. They had a blurry CCTV photo of the young female entering and exiting Alec's building but no name. She had been clever enough to use an alias at the Walgreens that she'd gone to to develop the film._

_When Alec received a letter, angry at him for spending time with a red-head, who would become Jace's girlfriend less than a year later, Magnus decided they needed to see if they could trick the girl into revealing herself._

_Gideon Greymark announced a meet and greet book signing in the city at a local book store. One fan would win the chance to go to dinner with Gideon afterward, they only had to write and mail in a letter as to why they would want to do so._

_And like a fly to honey, the stalker wrote in. The words on the paper didn't matter, it was the hand writing matching software that enabled them to connect the two. Her name was Martha Tibbs and she lived in Newark, New Jersey. Once they had her name, it was easier to connect the obvious fascination she had with Alec and his books in general. She was on many message boards, most of them defending how they were going to get married and were meant to be. Gideon wrote back to Martha via the email address she provided, announcing she was the winner and to present the email he was writing her as proof._

_Once at the book signing, Magnus and a couple undercovers waited for her to show up. It was halfway through when the woman walked through the doors. Jace who was checking everyone in, took her letter once she presented it to him. Magnus had wanted an undercover to pose for the position but Jace had had enough of seeing his brother in constant anxiety that he insisted it look as real as possible. When Martha handed him the copy of the email, he ushered her off to the side. He explained that Gideon would sign her book last and then they'd rendezvous to dinner._

_Catarina Loss, Magnus' partner swooped in once Martha was out of sight from anyone there for the signing and promptly arrested her._

_Martha screamed and wailed loudly for the entire block to hear as Catarina led her into the police car._

_It was less than a week later that Alec began getting more things left at his door from various fans. It turned out that, before Martha left for the meeting, she gave the internet his home address, stating that they'd be writing to her now as well._

_Alec, no longer comfortable in his living conditions, decided to move out. One of the last letters Alec received from Martha, who was spending time in a psychiatric ward in New Jersey, explained that she was protecting him by not revealing his real name. She wanted it to be a surprise for when they got married and everyone would be doubly envious of her secret._

"Martha Tibbs? Did she ever write to his PO Box?" Magnus asked, thanking the barista after she dropped off their breakfast. 

"She did for another two years but then the letters finally stopped. Alec obviously wasn't responding back to her and after she got frustrated enough, she told him it was his loss and that she was leaving him for another up and coming writer." Isabelle remembered the miserable feeling Alec would get whenever he uncovered one of her letters to his new mail box once he moved. 

"I'll make a few calls to see what her status is." Magnus pulled his phone out, typing quickly on it. "If I recall correctly, she was sentenced for evaluation and they decided she needed to stay for at least 6 months. I know it was extended as she had a nervous breakdown at one point to 2 years. If she's been out, Alexander's restraining order will still be prevalent against her." Magnus typed a few more times, taking notes and reminders for information he would look up. 

"Magnus, it wasn't just a letter of infatuation or despair. It was so much worse." Isabelle explained to him, chewing on her bottom lip. "It was a severed right arm. It was from the elbow down. And there was a note attached that said 'MISS YOU.' It has to be her, right?" 

Magnus' eyes grew in disbelief at this development. "Is Alexander alright?" 

"He's better than he was the other day when it happened but he's still pretty freaked out. The box doesn't have any addresses on it." She frowned, her hands twisting together in front of her on the table. "I'm not sure if the box was from the mail center or not. I didn't want to admit that to Alec but I know he suspects the same." 

Isabelle explained how she'd picked up all the mail, how her and her brothers lugged it all in and how Alec later of tripped over it when it should have been obviously seen when they were together, or even any day that followed before Isabelle had left. 

"A couple officers picked up the package and did the initial report but...do you think you could help him again? I know he'll trust you, especially since you helped him before." 

Magnus reached across the table, taking Isabelle's hands in his. "Why don't we get the Officer's names and I'll see what I can do." 

0000

Alec, Jace and Clary sat on Alec's porch, enjoying the afternoon. It was nearing the end of the summer, the first hint of Fall weather making its appearance here and there. 

Alec and Clary watched as Jace ran around with Sammy, throwing the ball and giving chase towards one another. Jace and Clary had come over the night of the incident and had decided to stay for a few more days. After making sure Alec was okay the next morning, Clary left the boys, only to head back into town to grab more clothes for herself and Jace, then came back. 

"When is Izzy coming over?" Clary asked as she lifted her legs, crossing them at the ankles and stretching them onto the chair Jace had been occupying. 

"I'd guess within the next hour. She's bringing Detective Bane with her." Alec rubbed the back of his neck after the fact, doing his best to keep his face neutral and focused on his brother and dog. 

Clary sat there for a moment, questioning the sudden awkwardness but then grinned quickly. "OH! That Detective. The hot one." Her face grew into a wide grin. 

Alec could feel her eyes glued to his cheek so he finally rolled his eyes, glancing at her. "What?" 

"It's just me, Alec. Come on, I remember Jace and Izzy said you thought he was attractive." 

Alec sighed, crossing his arms comfortably over his chest. "Fine. Yes, he was attractive and married, let's not forget that part." 

"Are you sure? He wears a bunch of rings." 

"The only ring on his left hand was one silver band on his ring finger? I'd count that as a wedding ring. Besides, this is a professional relationship anyways." Alec huffed, reaching for his glass of water on the table. 

"Well, we don't know that for sure." Clary countered though Alec knew she wasn't going to push that topic. "Besides, flirting is harmless."

"How would you feel if you were married to Jace and he was flirting with every girl that looks at him." 

Clary glared playfully at him. "Touché." 

Jace came running over, brushing his hand through his tousled blond hair, his face red from the slight chill, plus running around. "Sammy is endless energy." He muttered, reaching for his beer and taking a swig. 

Alec watched as he dog face the trio, eyes on Jace, toy in his mouth, waiting for his Uncle to join him some more. He smiled, looking back at Jace. 

"Those eyes won't work this time...Uncle Jace needs a break." He said after turning to face Sammy, collapsing onto the hammock Alec had set up next to the table and chairs. 

As Alec estimated, nearly an hour later, Izzy's car, followed by a black SUV moved up the driveway. 

Detective Bane exited his car first, grabbing a satchel from the backseat and then waited for Izzy to join him, grabbing her bag and carrying it for her. 

"Hi Alec! You remember Detective Magnus Bane?" 

Alec let his eyes calmly look in Magnus' direction, the other male's eyes already fixated on him. He cleared his throat, nodding. "Detective Bane, thank you for coming." Alec said, holding his hand out to shake. Magnus took it, smiling as he did so.

"Please, call me Magnus. No need for formalities." 

Alec led them into his home, out to the back where Jace and Clary were. 

Izzy grabbed a beer and joined the two while Alec walked with Magnus back inside after introductions. 

"The bathroom is down the hall to the left if you need it."

"Thank you Alexander. Let me just freshen up and then we can talk." 

Alec felt his face warm but stuffed it down, nodding and turning awkwardly while Magnus headed towards the bathroom. 

Alec waited in his living room, not too keen on sitting in the dining room just yet. 

Magnus joined him minutes later, removing his bag and placing it on the couch next to him. "You have a beautiful home." 

Alec smiled. "Thank you. I just hope I can keep it."

Magnus gave him a nod. "And you will. I'll get to the bottom of this, I promise you." 

"I'm sorry Izzy basically forced you into this. I'm sure you have more important cases on your plate." 

Magnus frowned. "Every case is important, yours included. I'm fortunate to know the Chief of police at the precinct where the call went to. Due to the, uniqueness of a case like this, they were going to pursue a Detective team to head the operation anyway. Besides, I want to help you." 

They set about going over everything that had happened. Magnus could tell Alec didn't want to go over it again but he also knew the importance and necessity of Magnus hearing it from him, not from Isabelle or reading over the police report. 

Magnus pulled out a file from his bag, flicking through the pages. "I did a follow up with Martha Tibbs." He explained, stopping at a page with her photo on it. Alec glanced at it, remembering the woman's face at the small trail held to receive the restraining order. He didn't have to appear but he wanted the judge and the court to know he was serious about obtaining it. He didn't want anything to be missed. He hadn't seen her at the sting during the signing as he was in the back, signing autographs. 

Magnus handed the folder over to Alec who was sitting across from him. "Miss Tibbs remained at the psychiatric hospital for about three years. She was evaluated and deemed no longer a threat to herself or society. Her parents were granted custody, a stipulation to leave being that she would move in with her parents to be monitored in Connecticut." Magnus waited for Alec to scan the first page before flipping to the next.

"Everything she sent you is documented. It is my understanding that she eventually stopped writing?" Magnus inquired, taking notes on his notepad.

Alec nodded in agreement. "The restraining order was only for physical distance, not for reaching out." He hadn't understood why that was the case but if she couldn't be 100 feet near him, that was good enough. 

"I reached out to her mother, Erin, who told me she hasn't mentioned anything about Gideon Greymark, your books or Alexander Lightwood. Her internet privileges are monitored with keywords that, if used, her parents will be notified. She hasn't so much as purchased a new book or looked to see who you were dating." Magnus wanted Alec to feel safe enough with this information but he knew there was the other half of this, that half being the unknown. 

"Martha was a fanatic but I don't think she'd send me a human arm." Alec's body involuntary shuddered at the memory of the limb. 

"I agree. She suffered from manic depression and erotomania, in your case specifically. Her psychiatrist didn't think that it was permanent and that she was projecting her emotions onto you after a boy in high school turned her down." Magnus felt sorry for the young woman and truly hoped that she had gotten the help that she needed. 

"I have a copy of the note that you also received. You told the responding Officers that it didn't ring any bells?" 

Alec shook his head, rubbing his face with one of his hands. "No. Nothing at all. I get a lot of mail. I've gotten letters between signings or book releases where fans say that they miss me or the stories and can't wait for the next one. I just don't have a list of those phrases because they truthfully never stood out." 

"Do you keep your mail?" 

Alec nodded. "I keep them in bins in the basement. I can start going through them, see if any of them say that?" 

Magnus smiled. "That's quite alright. That's what I'm here for. I'll pack them up with me before I head out this evening." 

"You're leaving so soon?" Alec asked before he could stop himself. 

"I'd like to get back to the city to grab a couple hours of sleep before starting on these." 

"You could stay over, if you don't want to drive back tonight. It's a full house but Iz could bunk with me and you could take the couch. It's usually slept on more than the spare bed is." 

Magnus was quiet for a few minutes, contemplating the offer. He could get a head start on the letters if he stayed, plus he didn't exactly want to get back in the car so soon. 

"I'll take you up on the offer, Alexander. Thank you." He figured he could leave early in the morning. Magnus stood up, stretching his lean body, his arms above his head. Alec tried and failed to prevent his eyes from darting down to Magnus' waist where the hint of tan skin showed once his shirt raised. "Show me to these bins?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally. Sorry for the delay!

It had taken Alec and Magnus about a half an hour to get the bins that Magnus requested, hauling them up into the dining room. If Alec had a choice, he would have had a small table but, due to the size of his family, it was long, able to seat 10 comfortably. By the time they managed to get all of the bins in the room, however, you could barely see the table. 

Alec blushed, his hand moving to the back of his neck, rubbing it. “I know it looks as though I’m a hoarder, it just doesn’t feel right tossing them.” He admitted, his other hand reaching down and resting on top of a box. “Some of these letters are so personal and they mean something to the fans when they send them…it’s not right tossing them in the trash.” 

Sometimes his fans would give him gifts, like stuffed animals and books and things like that as well as letters. Most of the physical gifts he ended up sending to a donation company. Those were the only things he knew he wouldn’t have room for. 

“I think your fans would feel special to know you keep their letters. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Magnus said to him, already having opened the first box, his eyes scanning over a letter.

“Are you really going to go through all of these?” Alec asked in bewilderment. There were so many, it would take some time.

Magnus glanced up, an eyebrow raising. “I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I didn’t.” 

Alec gave him a nod. The room fell into an easy silence, Magnus enthralled in his job, Alec awkwardly hovering.

After a couple minutes, Magnus looked up once more. “You don’t have to keep me company. Go, be with your family.” He smiled at him, not wanting him to think he was kicking him out of the room out of annoyance. 

“You don’t want any help?” 

“I just figured I’d get a head start on these since I’m here for the night. My partner, Catarina, will be dividing these with me once I get back to the office. Trust me, I’ll be fine.” 

Alec moved towards the door back towards the patio but paused, turning back to Magnus. “Okay just, make yourself at home. If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Thank you.” 

——-

Alec lasted a whole 10 minutes before he started to minutely fidget in his seat outside in his chair next to Izzy. Clary and Jace were playing corn hole while Sammy found something interesting in the dirt several feet away. 

“What’s wrong?” Izzy asked, watching as Alec tore at the threading in his sleeve that was coming off. 

“There’s just so many letters in there to go through. It’s going to take him all night to get through even one bin.” 

“Alec, that’s his job. We can’t help because we’re not sure what he’s looking for either. He’s going to figure it out and then you could see if he’d like to get dinner some…” But Izzy was cut off with Alec’s hand covering her mouth before she could finish. 

“Shhh!” Alec startled, giving her a warning look that meant there was no way she was going to pry his hand off her mouth unless he let her. 

Izzy rolled her eyes, her head nodding and he dropped his hand. 

“All I’m saying is…try to relax. I know this situation is freaky but it’s going to be okay.” Gone was the teasing and instead, Alec could see the love and compassion in his sister’s eyes. 

——

Around midnight, most of the family had retired for the night. Magnus was through one of the bins, his eyes beginning to tire. He sat up in the chair he’d taken occupancy in, glancing at the now empty mug of coffee on his right. 

Hearing someone coming down the creaky stairs, he looked in that direction. Alec, now dressed in dark blue sweatpants and a grey t-shirt, came into view, his arms filled with blankets and pillows. He walked over towards the couch, placing the bedding items on the chair. He unfolded one of the sheets, tossing it and covering the couch. 

Magnus followed him into the room, watching as he began to make him a bed. He smiled as he stepped closer. “You make a great host.” 

Alec smiled as he leaned over, pushing the sheet over the edge of the couch. “Sammy has a habit of getting hair all over this. It’s no trouble.” 

“I appreciate it. Thank you.” Magnus said earnestly, yawning as he stretched his arms above his head. 

Alec tossed the pillow he brought down at one end of the couch, unfolding the quilt he also brought down to lay across the couch. 

“Do you need anything else? Anything to sleep in?” Alec asked, realizing as he looked over at Magnus that he was dressed in work clothing. 

“You’ve been more than kind, I’m fine.” Magnus had a habit once he was involved in huge cases to fall asleep in his work clothes more often than not. 

“If you’re sure.” Alec answered, stepping away from the couch. “If it gets too cold, the thermostat is just over there.” Alec pointed towards the corner of the room. 

Hearing gentle tapping on the wooden floors, Magnus turned, seeing Sammy entering the room looking excited before his eyes landed on Alec. The dog’s tail began to wag, walking calmly over towards his master. When he made it to Alec’s side, Alec bent down, petting his dog. 

“He’s very well trained.” Magnus observed as he reached up and began to unbutton the shirt he was wearing. 

Alec nodded without looking up, still petting his dog. He stood up to his height after a minute, glancing over at Magnus. “He’s trained to look for signs of PTSD and Anxiety. There’s been times he’s gone up to strangers because he just knows they need him. He’s amazing.” 

“I’m glad you have him.” Magnus removed the shirt he was wearing, revealing a thin t-shirt underneath. Magnus watched as the dog continued to follow Alec around, nearly on his heels. “Are you in need of him now…if I may ask?” 

Alec paused in his steps, looking at Sammy and then to Magnus, a faint blush painting his cheeks. “Oh…no.” Alec smiled, a quiet chuckle escaping him. “It’s almost bed time so he knows the routine. Check the doors, set the alarm, night time treat.” 

“Smart dog indeed.” Magnus said as he walked over towards the made up bed. He took a seat, removing his shoes and belt. 

“Goodnight Magnus.” Alec said as he started to make his way out of the room. 

“Goodnight Alexander.” Magnus said as he listened to the male walking around his home, the beeping of his home alarm being set and then finally retreating footsteps up the staircase. 

0000

It had been early in the morning when Alec had ventured down to his kitchen to start on coffee and breakfast, to find Magnus in the dining room, organizing the boxes he’d gone through the night before. Alec had asked him if he wanted breakfast, but he was insistent that he needed to go back to his office.

After convincing him to at least take a mug of coffee with him, Alec stood on his porch as Magnus headed back towards New York City, Sammy sprinting past him to run around the yard. 

It was another hour before Izzy trickled down the stairs, her eyes barely open as she felt her way towards the coffee pot. 

Alec was sitting at his dining room table, eyes scanning lazily over his iPad when Izzy came to join him. He looked up, smiling at the disheveled look of his sister. Alec was almost certain he was the only one who had ever seen her in this state.

“Sleep well?” Alec asked, pushing his iPad to the side to give his attention to his sister.

Izzy nodded, pulling her hair tie off of her wrist, throwing her hair up into a bun. “Would have slept better if you didn’t snore.” 

Alec rolled his eyes. “I don’t snore. You snore.”

Izzy gasped. “I do not!” 

Smirking, Alec rose his eyebrow challengingly at her, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Whatever…Lightwoods snore…you just happen to be the loudest.” Izzy took a drink of her coffee this time, looking around the room. “Is Magnus gone?” 

Alec nodded. “He left about an hour ago. He wanted to get an early start. He said he’d call if he finds anything in the mail or about the package that was sent to me.” 

Izzy nodded along as he spoke. Seeing the stress on her brother’s face, she reached across the table, placing her hand on top of Alec’s and giving it a squeeze. “It’s going to be okay.”

Alec gave his sister a small smile, wanting badly to believe her words. “I hope so.”

“I know so and I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Izzy added matter of factly.

Alec looked at her curiously. 

“There’s no way I’m letting you stay here by yourself while this is going on.” She saw Alec give her a look that meant he had a protest on his lips. “Shush. I know you have Sammy and I know you have an alarm but you’re so isolated here.” She sighed, running her free hand over her face. “I love your home Alec, but I hate that you’re so secluded. It scares me and with this happening…I won’t be able to sleep or focus if I don’t know with my own eyes that you’re okay.” 

Alec turned his hand, giving her hand a squeeze. “I appreciate it but…” He sighed, already defeated. Isabelle Lightwood was a formidable foe when it came to arguing; he almost never won. “Only if you’re sure. I don’t want you to feel like you have to be here. I’m okay alone.” 

Izzy grinned, knowing this was a battle she was winning. “It’s okay. I already talked to Simon. He’s going to check on my place whenever I can’t.”

“Living here is going to suck for your commute.” Alec reminded her, considering she wouldn’t be taking a 15 minute train ride anymore. 

Izzy shrugged. “It’s fine. Besides, I could always park just outside the city and take the train from there. It won’t be so bad.” 

0000

Although Alec would never admit it to her, he was relieved that Izzy was going to stay with him. He did like his solitude, it was true, but the package had unnerved him terribly. In the mornings since, the first thing he did was check outside the window, dread filling him before making sure there was no box outside his home. 

Izzy had been with him now for the last 5 days and luckily, everything had been normal. There were no more packages showing up, though they still had yet to confirm if it had ever been delivered to the P.O. Box or not.

Magnus had called the day before and told him that he and his partner, Catarina, had nearly finished going through his bins. Magnus didn’t tell him much, only that there were a handful of letters they had pulled that might be worth going over more and that he’d get the bins back to Alec as soon as he could. 

Alec was just entering his home with Sammy after a run around the grounds when he heard his phone going off in the other room. 

He moved quickly towards the phone, seeing the name illuminating from the screen. Alec picked it up, a smile on his face. 

“Mother! Hey!” He greeted her, hearing what sounded like wind blowing wherever his mother was. 

“Alec, Sweetheart! How are you? Settling in?” Maryse Lightwood’s voice asked.

Alec leaned over, seeing into the living room and seeing his sister in the middle of giving herself a pedicure and watching some sort of reality show. 

“Yeah. Just getting used to being home again.” He answered her honestly. 

“Your father and I can’t wait to see you.”

“Where are you right now? It’s kind of hard to hear you.” Alec asked, pressing the phone against his ear. 

“We decided to make a pitstop in Manarola, Italy. It’s so quaint and peaceful. Oh Alec, you should vacation here someday.” His mother said dreamily. 

“Are you on your way back home?” Alec asked conversationally, reaching for an apple. 

“Your father says hello!” There was a pause as he assumed she was adjusting her phone from one ear to the other. “We’ll be back Saturday night. Won’t you gather your siblings for dinner at the house on Sunday?” 

Alec sighed.Trying to get them together was easy, but getting them together for dinner at home was near impossible. Jace would most likely have plans with Clary, Izzy will say she had to work late while Max will come up with a nonexistent paper to write. He wasn’t sure why they were all pains in the ass when it came to dinner at home, but he’d do his best. Alec himself tried to get out of it but it rarely happened as he was always the one tasked to wrangle everyone. 

“I can try. I’ll let you know.” Alec took a bite of the apple and began walking around, eyes spotting the flowers on his table. “Mom? Thanks for the flowers.” 

“Threaten their inheritances if you have to.” Maryse told him with a laugh at the end. “What flowers?” 

Alec frowned, walking closer to the flowers, plucking the note out of them once more. He read the words over carefully. “When I got home the other day, you sent me flowers? Didn’t you? Did Lydia send them for you?” Lydia who was his parent’s assistant and ran much of the business whenever they were out of town. 

There was a pause as Alec waited for her response. He put her on speaker phone as he flipped through his contacts, finding ‘Lydia Branwell’ among them. He typed up a quick text to her. He stared at the handwriting, certain that this was his mother’s. 

“We never sent any flowers. I’m sorry Sweetheart.” Maryse sounded remorseful, as if it would disappoint him that they didn’t send anything. 

At the same time, his phone chimed that he was receiving a text message.

__

_‘Hey Alec! Great to hear from you. We’ll have to catch up. No, I haven’t sent any flowers. See you soon!’_

“It’s uh…it’s okay.” Alec cleared his throat, willing himself to remain calm. “I’ll see you this week then, right? I’ve got to go. I love you guys. Tell Dad?” 

“We love you too Alec. We’re so proud of you.” 

Alec hung up the phone, eyes staring at the flowers that had begun to wilt on his table, fear coiling in his gut. 

“Alec? Was that mom?” Izzy’s voice said from behind him, causing Alec to jump. In tune to her brother’s body language, she came closer, placing her hand on his arm. “What is it? Is everything okay?” 

Alec forced himself to look at Izzy, breaking his trance from the flowers. “Mom and Dad never sent these to me.”

“What…” Izzy began but Alec cut her off.

“Iz…whoever sent these know my name and where I live.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't as 'dun dun dun' as I had hoped but I NEEDED to get it out. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave me comments, I do love them :)


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